Sullivan & Hunt halves: a potentially expansive attack

[Auntie.Gerald]

I really liked how we had a definite way we sucked in the South’s defenders on the edges

on our left attack we had Bud standing super deep to have the south’s centre rush out and twice it worked very very well to pull apart the souths defence

we let them come to us and exposed their tendencies and it worked

same again but different on our attacking right

Sloan very deep but moving wide and fast to get on the outside

my major concern though was no Walker no Mitchell and no Murray

that is 3 of their 5 attack out

they are massive players in attack

 

[jak]

I really liked how we had a definite way we sucked in the South’s defenders on the edges

on our left attack we had Bud standing super deep to have the south’s centre rush out and twice it worked very very well to pull apart the souths defence

we let them come to us and exposed their tendencies and it worked

same again but different on our attacking right

Sloan very deep but moving wide and fast to get on the outside

my major concern though was no Walker no Mitchell and no Murray

that is 3 of their 5 attack out

they are massive players in attack

very well put analysis

 

[blacksafake]

I really liked how we had a definite way we sucked in the South’s defenders on the edges

on our left attack we had Bud standing super deep to have the south’s centre rush out and twice it worked very very well to pull apart the souths defence

we let them come to us and exposed their tendencies and it worked

same again but different on our attacking right

Sloan very deep but moving wide and fast to get on the outside

my major concern though was no Walker no Mitchell and no Murray

that is 3 of their 5 attack out

they are massive players in attack

Good analysis AG.
Was very evident with the lack of opportunities Alex Johnston got.

 

[Wolfgang90]

Apologies for the long post but I was absolutely stoked to see the performance of these 2 players on the weekend. It was special because for the first time in a long time we saw our halves combining on multiple occasions in a positive manner. I fkn loved it.

One thing that has improved massively each week since Sullivan has played in the halves is our structure in attack. He's helping Hunt organise shape which means depth in attack & correct positioning. There's a fluidity in our attack now compared to when Amone was involved. Sullivan underrated skill is organisation, he's organised more & more each week. Massive kudos to the young man. Some observations watching live on the hill (how bloody good was the atmosphere!)

Positives:

1. Organisation in attack, detailed a bit above but organisation was great on both sides of the ball.
2. Running game, both halves had strong running games. I was impressed with Sullivans footwork & support play.
3. Defence, both halves were desperate with their defence. This include repeat efforts to tackle the opposition player & cover dangerous space.
4. Cohesion, there was cohesion between both players that was clearly evident. You could see it through multiple link ups between them on both sides of the field. I loved it, it's something lacking with other teams who have halves playing predominantly right or left side of the field. This should be encouraged further & could be an excellent advantage over other teams. We don't see it enough in the NRL imo.
5. Link with Liddle, first time since this combination was established that we've seen cohesion with Liddle. Last week there were numerous instances where liddle didn't know who to pass it too or there was miscommunication between all 3 players. I didn't see it occur too much against the rabbits.

Negatives:
1. Kicking, this was the only major negative & it's something that can be improved quickly for next game. I'm unsure if it's a directive from the coaches, Hunt or Sullivan but Hunt was too dominating with the kicking. Multiple times Hunt got caught out because the Rabbits knew he was the only one kicking. He got lucky this week but it will be exposed in the future. I also thought his accuracy on the kicks was lacking.

Sullivan needs to do more kicking moving forwards, firstly he's a great kick both long & short. Secondly, it'll allow less pressure on our kickers because the opposition won't be able to load up on just one player. They'll need to cover both players giving more time for either Hunt or Sullivan to put in a dangerous kick. I hope we see this improve for next game.

Fingers crossed we see this combination continue for the majority of the season. We'll see ups & downs but we need to persist as I think it could be a golden combination. It would address both short term & long term needs. Short term with us being a more dangerous attacking team, long term it allows Sullivan to gain experience without the pressure of being the main half which will be invaluable once Hunt leaves/retires in a couple of years.

Wishful thinking but I think this combination could set up Sullivan to be a gun half for the next decade. I've got massive wraps on Sullivan but we must have Hunt supporting him to alleviate pressure & pass on his learnings. We're pretty fortunate to have 2 halves who both have great running & kicking games. I think it's a massive advantage on all other clubs but we need to persist with it for as long as possible.

 

[Mojo]

Apologies for the long post but I was absolutely stoked to see the performance of these 2 players on the weekend. It was special because for the first time in a long time we saw our halves combining on multiple occasions in a positive manner. I fkn loved it.

One thing that has improved massively each week since Sullivan has played in the halves is our structure in attack. He's helping Hunt organise shape which means depth in attack & correct positioning. There's a fluidity in our attack now compared to when Amone was involved. Sullivan underrated skill is organisation, he's organised more & more each week. Massive kudos to the young man. Some observations watching live on the hill (how bloody good was the atmosphere!)

Positives:

1. Organisation in attack, detailed a bit above but organisation was great on both sides of the ball.
2. Running game, both halves had strong running games. I was impressed with Sullivans footwork & support play.
3. Defence, both halves were desperate with their defence. This include repeat efforts to tackle the opposition player & cover dangerous space.
4. Cohesion, there was cohesion between both players that was clearly evident. You could see it through multiple link ups between them on both sides of the field. I loved it, it's something lacking with other teams who have halves playing predominantly right or left side of the field. This should be encouraged further & could be an excellent advantage over other teams. We don't see it enough in the NRL imo.
5. Link with Liddle, first time since this combination was established that we've seen cohesion with Liddle. Last week there were numerous instances where liddle didn't know who to pass it too or there was miscommunication between all 3 players. I didn't see it occur too much against the rabbits.

Negatives:
1. Kicking, this was the only major negative & it's something that can be improved quickly for next game. I'm unsure if it's a directive from the coaches, Hunt or Sullivan but Hunt was too dominating with the kicking. Multiple times Hunt got caught out because the Rabbits knew he was the only one kicking. He got lucky this week but it will be exposed in the future. I also thought his accuracy on the kicks was lacking.

Sullivan needs to do more kicking moving forwards, firstly he's a great kick both long & short. Secondly, it'll allow less pressure on our kickers because the opposition won't be able to load up on just one player. They'll need to cover both players giving more time for either Hunt or Sullivan to put in a dangerous kick. I hope we see this improve for next game.

Fingers crossed we see this combination continue for the majority of the season. We'll see ups & downs but we need to persist as I think it could be a golden combination. It would address both short term & long term needs. Short term with us being a more dangerous attacking team, long term it allows Sullivan to gain experience without the pressure of being the main half which will be invaluable once Hunt leaves/retires in a couple of years.

Wishful thinking but I think this combination could set up Sullivan to be a gun half for the next decade. I've got massive wraps on Sullivan but we must have Hunt supporting him to alleviate pressure & pass on his learnings. We're pretty fortunate to have 2 halves who both have great running & kicking games. I think it's a massive advantage on all other clubs but we need to persist with it for as long as possible.

Sullivan is a very talented player. I’d love to see him at 7 with Hunt at 6. I reckon both guys would be in their natural positions and would quickly prove to be a magic combo. Add to that Sullivan’s combo with Sloan and Liddle nailing 9. That’s a deadly spine in the making IMO.

Hook‘s coaching was tantamount to negligent IMO. How on earth any coach could doggedly insist on constantly blocking and / or disrupting the use of this combo is beyond comprehension.

 

[RedVDave]

They make a great combination imagine if this was the case since last year as it should of been.

 

[hewi]

He might be looking for a new club next year.

Jayden Sullivan will be a Tiger in 2025



Such is the logjam of halves at the Tigers, especially with Jarome Luai joining the roster from 2025, it’s hard to see a situation where Jayden Sullivan will remain at the club beyond this season. A former Dragon, Sullivan signed a four-year deal with the Tigers reported to be $550,000 a year. Sullivan started the year in the No. 7 jersey alongside exciting rookie Lachlan Galvin but was disappointing in the season opener against Canberra, and was subsequently dropped to the bench. The Tigers have rolled with veteran halfback Aidan Sezer and Galvin in the halves since, and the club has recorded two strong wins. Sullivan played just 14 minutes in Round 3 off the pine before not even being used in the win over Parramatta. This week’s game shapes up as a big one for Sullivan, as he’ll start at five-eighth next to Sezer in Galvin’s absence (suspension). It’s a potential audition to halves-needy teams. With coach Benji Marshall handing promising teenager Latu Fainu his debut this weekend, it’s clear the club have a big opinion of him and you’d have to think if the Tigers had to choose between Fainu or Sullivan going forward, they’d pick the former. Sezer is on a one-year deal, so he’ll likely be elsewhere in 2025 meaning the Tigers will have Luai, Galvin, Fainu, Sullivan and the injured Adam Douhiei to choose from next season. The math of trying to fit five players into two-three spots doesn’t add up, so something will have to give and Sullivan appears the most likely of those to be making way